Is There a Correlation Between Azathioprine and Skin Cancer Development?
Posted: Monday, October 15, 2018
Exposure to the immunosuppressive medication azathioprine may be associated with the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, according to research published in Nature Communications. Irene M. Leigh, MD, of the University of Dundee, UK, and colleagues identified a novel mutational signature, known as signature 32, which may be linked to the development of skin cancer and thus a potential therapeutic target. In addition, patients currently receiving azathioprine may benefit from counseling about their risk of skin cancer and ultraviolet radiation photosensitivity, they noted.
Researchers completed whole-exome sequencing on cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas from 37 patients, both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent. Of the group, 29 participants were on immunosuppressive treatments as organ transplant recipients, and 1 participant was immunosuppressed as a result of treatment for Crohn’s disease. Among the immunosuppressed participants, many were given azathioprine, although some were treated with other medications or a combination of medicines including azathioprine.
“Signature 32 was prominent in many of the samples from immunosuppressed patients indicating a potential association with exposure to immunosuppressant drugs,” noted the authors. “There is a significant association only between a confirmed history of azathioprine exposure and the presence of signature 32 and not exposure to the other immunosuppressant drugs.”
